


Think Fast, Stay Cool

by BladeQuill



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Episode: s02e03 Family of Rogues, Episode: s02e06 Enter Zoom, M/M, Mostly Cannon Compliant, OC is a meta, OC ships Coldflash, this is a Coldflash fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-05-14 12:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5744407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BladeQuill/pseuds/BladeQuill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Leonard Snart goes to prison, he finds a friend in the last pace he expected. Add to that regular visits from Barry Allen, and Len isn't sure what to make of it. And why is everyone telling him that he's a good man? He just wants to get out and get back to the game - but Fate, as well as a new meta, have other plans for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Doctor is In

Leonard Snart hadn’t been in prison for two days when one of the guards did something out of the routine. The last time Leonard Snart had been here with Mick Rory, the security guards would post new notices on the bulletin without much fanfare, and the notices were generally ignored.

This was different.

A security guard pinned a bright purple sign-up sheet to the board and an expectant hush fell over the mess hall. What was going on? The guard looked awkwardly around the room. “Dr. DeNoel will be returning tomorrow, feel free to sign up for a session with her. Group sessions will be posted later. Our three new arrivals have already been assigned sessions. Thank you.”

As soon as the guard finished, men filed over to the sheet, actually eager to sign up. Len didn’t move. As a new arrival, he was already guaranteed a ‘session’. But with who? Why?

He leaned over to the inmate next to him. “What’s the big deal with the sessions?”

The man, McKinson, was serving a life sentence and had been in Iron Heights the last time Snart had been there. He knew every in and out of the place. McKinson grinned a yellow smile. “We got a knew psychiatrist, Cold, and man is she brilliant. Popular, obviously.”

Len raised an eyebrow. Sessions with the resident psychiatrist had never been 'popular' in any way. Normally, the inmates scared the poor doctor off before six months was up. “How long she been around?”

“About eight months,” McKinson informed him. Then his stare turned dangerous. “And if you try an’ pull any shit with her, Snart... I will personally fuck you up.”

Len’s eyebrows were officially reaching uncharted territory, and he wasn’t sure if they were ever going to come down. Since when did inmates protect their god damned shrink? He supposed he was glad he had an automatic session. He wanted to see what this woman was made of.

 

Len woke up at exactly 7:00, according to his inner chronometer. His session was at eight, so he decided to make as good an impression as possible. He showered, checked out some books from the prison library, and showed up ten minutes early. There were two chairs outside of the office, so he sat and tried to listen to what was going on inside. 

But he didn’t hear anything until the last minute of the session. An exuberant laugh was just about the last thing he had expected, and for a moment, he wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him. Then the door swung open, and one of the other new arrivals, Hardy, exited the room, a smile on his face.

“See you in a week, Hardy!” called the voice Len had heard laughing. 

“Will do, ma’am.” Hardy replied, before turning to Len. “Go on in, man.”

Len sighed and stretched before pushing the door open. His jaw nearly hit the floor. The woman behind the desk could have been a model - high, sharp cheekbones, mile long legs, a narrow figure, and perfectly styled, caramel hair. Len’s first thought was that Lisa would have liked this woman. His second though was, what the hell is she doing here? She could probably get a job anywhere else.

The Doctor looked up and gave him a soft smile. “Not what you expected, am I?” She picked up a manila folder and stuck a pen behind her ear, then came came around the desk. “Good to meet you, Mr. Snart.”

“Don’t call me that.” The words were out before he could stop them. It was a knee-jerk reaction, something he would have said to any other inmate. “Mr. Snart was my father.” He explained cooly.

“Of course,” she replied, shaking her head. “I should’ve known.” She held out a hand. “What can I call you, then?”

Len used the handshake to buy time, but he was impressed by how firm her grip was. He could ask to be called Cold, but he was powerless here. He could tell her Leonard, but the only person to call him that was his father, usually just before another 'lesson'. He could say Lenny, but only Lisa called him that. Finally, he settled on a name. “You can call me Len.”

“Perfect. Would you like to take a seat, Len?”

Len sat.

“Do you want to speak about your father?”

“No.”

“Alright.” She sat in the chair next to him instead of going around the desk, and set a blank sheet of paper in between them.

Len eyed the paper dubiously.

“I’d like to make you a deal.” She said.

Len raised an eyebrow. “A deal?”

“A way for us to be honest with one another.”

Good luck, Len thought. “And how do you propose we do that, Doctor?”

She rolled her eyes. “You can start by calling me Harmony.”

Len tried not to look surprised. He’d never been on a first-name-basis with his psychiatrist before. “Is that supposed to be a sign of faith?”

“No, but I prefer to be an equal to whomever walks into my office, and that begins with a name. I’m not going to sit on a high horse, Len. We all know how that ends.” She handed him a pen. “What I want, is to figure out a way to be honest with one another, at least in this room. What do you need from me in order to do that?”

Len thought for a second. “What if I don’t feel like answering your questions?”

She shrugged. “You can pass, I suppose. But I will write the question down, and I might ask you again later. Is that alright?”

Len nodded, and wrote ‘Pass questions moved to later date’ on the blank paper.

“What else?” Harmony asked. 

He gave her a hard stare. “I need you to promise that you will be honest to me at all times.”

“Done. If I can’t tell you something or if I'm not allowed to, I’ll let you know. I will be as open as I can. I promise to always tell the truth.” She paused, and locked eyes. It was as if she was pointing a laser at his very soul. “However, you must also be perfectly honest with me.”

Len agreed, and wrote down the term. Then he met her gaze again. “I want an equal share.”

“Sorry, what?”

“For every question I ask, I want to ask you a question.”

Harmony tilted her head to the side, considering. “Fine. Is that all?”

“No. I want updates on my sister, Mick Rory, The Flash, and any crime that goes on in this city.” Len added. Maybe he was pushing his luck.

Harmony nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

Len added the term with a sense of triumph, and signed the paper before handing her the pen, wondering if she knew just how much she had agreed to give him. She signed, and that was that. An informal contract that Len would do his best to keep.

They spent the next thirty minutes playing games of Two Truths and a Lie. Harmony never guessed wrong. It was rather impressive, really. Then her computer dinged, and she went around to check it. 

She gave the monitor a surprised look before turning to face him. “It appears you have a visitor signed up for noon today.”

Len scrunched his brows in confusion. Lisa and Mick weren’t stupid enough to drop by, so who else would care? Then it hit him. Barry Allen. Barry Allen was going to come check on him and gloat. It was a real pisser, their deal. Technically, Len had already broken it, but still... he would have no leverage left if he outed the kid now. And what good would that do, in prison? Len scowled. “Barry Allen?”

Harmony allowed herself a wry smile. “I wouldn’t have thought he knew you, Len. How did you two meet?”

Len sat back in his chair, exuding confidence. “He’s CCPD. What do you think?”

“I asked the question, Len. Now are you going to pass, or are you going to answer?”

Len sighed. “I met him when I was brought into the precinct nearly a year ago. He’s convinced that I could change.”

She looked at him with interest. “Change?”

“Become a hero.”

“Will you?”

“No.”

“Could you?”

“...Pass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave me some comments and kudos, as you all know, they are much appreciated. I love to hear your thoughts.  
> See you soon!


	2. Be Seeing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is causing trouble...even when he's not there. Len is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who've shown some support for this fic. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Len watched carefully as Barry was buzzed into the room. The kid gave him a half smile before picking up the phone. What was that for? Len barely resisted rolling his eyes in response.

“Last time I was in here I was visiting my dad.” Barry commented.

Len wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, me too.” Now, his father was dead, and he was in prison for murdering the man. Way to pick a bad conversation starter, kid.

Barry cut straight to the point. “And yet you killed him.”

“He deserved it.” That much, Len knew was true. But he wasn’t going to tell Barry what a weight it was to carry around. Even if it was justified, there was some guilt. He’d hated his father for killing his mother, for killing Lisa’s mother. Now he had his family’s blood on his own hands too. 

Surprisingly, Barry smiled. 

“Is that funny to you?” 

“No.” The kid shook his head, and the half-smile was back. “What’s funny is I finally figured out your secret.”

Len narrowed his eyes, a mixture of alarmed and intrigued. “And what secret would that be?”

“You’d do anything to protect your sister.”

Shit. His one weakness, and his archenemy knew it. Thank god he still had some leverage, even if it was practically useless inside Iron Heights. “Well I know your secret, too,” Len tilted his head smugly. “Better hope I don’t talk in my sleep.” 

“You won’t.” The speed of the answer surprised Len. What else did the kid have? Was he holding Lisa? No... he wouldn’t... would he? “Today just proved what I’ve always known.” Barry continued. “There’s good in you, Snart.”

Not again, Barry, Len thought. Stop saying that. He continued to glare through the glass. There was nothing to say.

Barry looked away. “And you don’t have to admit it to me, but there’s some part of you that knows you don’t have to let your past define you. A part of you that really wants to be more than just a criminal.”

Len didn’t like to admit it, but he had always been afraid of letting his past control his future. He thought he’d escaped Louis years ago. He thought he’d become his own man, chosen his own way. Perhaps he had been wrong. But he had never been just a criminal, and Barry knew that. Still, Snart knew what the CSI meant, and it both annoyed and amused him. “So I should be a hero like you, Barry?” He spat. “What exactly does that pay, again?”

It was a cruel jibe, but Len didn’t regret it. Barry would have to see, eventually, that he wasn’t a hero. He would never be a hero. He wasn’t interested in that. It wasn’t possible. Not anymore.

But the kid didn’t so much as flinch. “It’s just a matter of time, - Something you’ll have a lot of in here.”

Len smirked. He had plenty of people who owed him. Many of them would leap at an opportunity to free him, especially if they garnered his help in return. “Not as much as you think.” Barry had said all that Len was willing to hear. “Be seeing you.” Len said, and hung up the phone. He didn’t want to think about Barry’s faith in him. He wasn’t even sure if he had that much faith in himself. It might’ve been touching, if Barry weren’t so annoyingly wrong.

 

Nearly three days later, Len was still mulling over Barry’s words. He couldn’t make them go away, he couldn’t get Barry to take them back. He had nowhere to go, and hitting punching bags wasn’t helping. It wasn’t like he could talk to his cellmates, either. 

If they knew a CSI had visited... they’d think he was an informant. Even Len wouldn’t last a month if he were an informant. 

If they knew the CSI thought he could be a good man, and that his words were getting to Len... he would lose any status he held in the criminal hierarchy within Iron Heights.

But there was one person he could talk to. Someone who wasn’t an inmate. Someone who wouldn’t knock him down a peg or frame him as an informant. But Len certainly wasn’t desperate enough to go to her, not yet. If he didn’t, he could count this as a victory, proving himself against The Flash unbeknownst to his archenemy. 

Yes, he would outlast this, and harden his heart. When he got out, he’d go straight back to Lisa, help her with the heists she and Mick were probably already planning. He just had to be patient, and forget about Barry Allen’s words.

 

281253 second later, Len growled out his frustration as he sat up in bed. It was nearly two in the morning, and he couldn’t, for the life of him, fall asleep. And when all you had was a gray ceiling to distract you...distractions proved to be useless. It had been five days, and Len was still unable to get those traitorous, tantalizing words out of his head. 

“There’s good in you, Snart.”

But there wasn’t enough. There would never be enough to make up for the evil. There would never be enough light to make up for the darkness. And Len knew that, even if Barry didn’t. In a way, Len didn’t want Barry to know. Barry was too good to see the bad in anyone else, and Len didn’t want to be the one to point out his own faults. It wasn’t vain... he just didn’t want to lose Barry’s faith, and destroy his hope of fighting evil.

No one could fight without hope. But the darkness, the evil, had been Len’s only hope for nearly three decades. It was too late to change, it was too late to go back to being the thirteen year old that had almost taken Lisa and run the night Louis had killed Lisa’s mother. It was too late to be good.

 

He wasn’t sure what made him sign up. But there he was, waiting outside of an office he no longer wanted to enter. What a terrible idea. But it was too late.

Before he knew it, Len was sitting in one the chairs in front of her desk, and she was regarding him silently with her cool grey eyes. Len was silent for 307 seconds.

“You’re counting, aren’t you?”

Len’s gaze shot to her. “Why would you think that?”

“You’re breathing to a perfect count. The only people with that level of control know how to count time. It makes sense, with your occupation, and it’s a coping mechanism, Len. Your coping mechanism.”

Now Len remembered just how much of a pain psychiatrists could be. “Well, I did just kill my father. I hope you can understand why I need a way to cope.”

Harmony shook her head. “It’s more than that, Len, and we both know it. You weren’t counting the last time you were in here. So something new has upset you.”

“Very observant. I think I’ll be going. I don’t know why I thought you could help.” Len rose and made to push past her, but she laid a firm hand on his shoulder. He glared at her. 

She glared right back. “I didn’t come into work today for you to waste my time, so here’s my offer. If I can guess what’s bothering you, we talk. If I can’t, you’re free to go.”

“Confident, much?” Len spat, sitting. “You get one guess.”

“Fine. Considering you’ve been here before, being in prison isn’t what’s bothering you. Nither is the murder of your father, because you were perfectly alright the last time I saw you. Furthermore, you obviously aren’t the impatient type, or you wouldn’t be able to keep such perfect track of time. Thus, you aren’t counting up to a rescue time, nor have you planned anything time-sensitive. This leaves you with one option; a social interaction. You know how to act around other inmates, as well as the guards, and you have a high enough status here not to have to worry about being threatened. I am therefore forced to conclude that Barry Allen is the only probable cause left. He said something to you, and it’s bothering you. The last time I saw you, you said that Mr. Allen kept telling you that you could change. He did it again, and, because you are feeling remorse, you’re getting worried. You’re scared to believe him, so you don’t. You’ve been counting to distract yourself, but it’s not working. Instead, you’re counting until he visits again, because you know he will. Did I miss anything?”

“Didn’t know your name was Sherlock, Doctor.” Len sighed, with a mix of frustration and annoyance.

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Harmony replied with a smile. It was surprisingly endearing.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Len muttered, with a grudging sense of respect. “You got everything left except for the counting. I’m counting up until I can prove Barry wrong.”

“So you don’t want a second chance?”

“I don’t deserve one.”

“Someone should have told you that it isn’t your choice.” She said softly.

Len shrugged. “I can choose to not take it.”

One eyebrow arched dubiously. “Is that really what you want?”

“I can’t be good.”

“Why not?”

“I have other obligations, and my past is irredeemable.” Len stated cooly. 

Harmony gave him an eye roll. “No one is irredeemable.”

He looked away. “How very Christian of you.” 

“Actually, I’m Jewish, but that’s beside the point.” She met his gaze. “I need to ask this again - are you sure that being bad is what you want?”

Len shook his head. “What I want, Harmony, doesn’t matter.” Then he remembered - they had a deal. “Enough about me, though. I believe I've earned six questions."

Harmony crossed her arms and sat. “Alright.” She didn’t look too happy about it.

Len was fine with that. “Is there any news on Mick or Lisa?”

The doctor shook her head with a smile. “No, they aren’t stupid. They know to lay low for a while, or at least until CCPD gives up on finding them.”

“Why do you seem happy for them?” Len asked, unable to believe it was genuine,

“You care about them, and I respect a protective streak. Also, if they were in trouble, I’m sure you would find a way to break out, sooner rather than later.” She answered.

Len wished he hadn’t wasted a question on that. “Any news on Barry Allen?”

Harmony shrugged. “He’s working, as per the usual. I don’t know why you asked me to-”

“What about The Flash?”

“He’s been taking down some unusual metas. Apparently there’s a bank robber named Doctor Light. I don’t know where either are now, but I don’t think The Flash has taken her down yet.”

Len frowned. If The Flash went down, metas would overrun the city. He could only control the Rogues to a point, and it certainly wouldn’t be easy to control them from inside Iron Heights. The sooner he could get out, the better. He wondered if Lisa or Mick had thought about putting a price on his escape. No... they would wait and see. If he wasn’t out by New Years, maybe.

He had two questions left. “Have the Rogues made any moves?”

“No, I believe they’re biding their time as well.”

That was good, Len thought. If there was another bank-robbing meta out there, it was best for the Rogues to wait until The Flash had taken care of her. Now Len had one personal question. “Why do you believe that no one is irredeemable?”

She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “I have a past too, Len. I’m not proud of everything I’ve done. I’ve worked with plenty of associations that used my skills for the wrong reasons. I believed myself irredeemable for a time.”

Len knew he was out of questions, but he asked anyway. “How did you redeem yourself?”

“I’m still working on that...but it started with someone else having a little faith in me.” She said, not meeting his eyes.

Len wondered if something had happened to whomever it was. “Why does Barry have faith in me?” He asked, feeling like a child.

“I suppose you’ll have to ask him that, Len.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this one kind of got away from me. Please leave me some comments about how you feel, and or some kudos. Feedback is always amazing.


	3. Mystery Meta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's about time we heard from Barry, especially because of what's going down. (Takes place before Enter Zoom)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your continued support of this fic! I means a lot to me. I hope you continue to read and enjoy, as well as comment. This is for you guys, after all!

Barry was on duty, buzzing around the city, when the headset crackled. “There’s a hostage situation in the Regional Bank, Barry.” Caitlin called over the headset. “Can you-”

“On my way.” Barry said with a grin. He changed his course, zipping into the bank to find- wait, what? The situation was utterly bizarre. In the dim lighting, he could see a woman in a purple body suit. She had her back turned to him, and was facing multiple armed men, standing firmly between them and a dozen or so hostages. One of her hands was outstretched towards them. 

In a bone-shaking, fear-instilling voice, she spoke. **"Put your weapons down!"** There was a pause, and then she shouted, **“NOW!”**

To Barry’s sheer astonishment, the guns literally fell out of the men’s hands. Barry stood, stunned for a few seconds, and the men leapt into action - it was eight on one. Damn it. The woman couldn’t expect to win against eight men. 

Barry quickly decided to even the odds. Whomever the woman was, she was fighting on his side, so he’d accept a temporary alliance. As the world slowed around him, Barry noted that she was more capable than he would’ve guessed. They were only three seconds into the fight and she already had two men out cold on the ground. Her movements were methodical and precise - she used the minimum energy required to defeat her attackers, dodging blows by no more than an inch, and flooring men three times her body weight with simple, efficient movements. Obviously, she was well trained.

Still, Barry took care of half of the men, concentrating on the ones that were farthest from the woman, or trying to attack her from behind. The fight was over in less than ten seconds, and all eight men lay in various states of unconsciousness or injury on the ground.

He turned to the hostages. “Are you alright?” 

As the hostages stood, one woman moved forward and spoke. “That man over there- he tried to fight back.” She nodded to a man lying a few feet away. “Can you help him?” The woman’s hands were zip-tied behind her back, and Barry noticed that every hostage had received the same treatment. “Please, Mr. Flash?”

Barry was about to flash the man to the nearest hospital when the woman in the purple suit said, “Let me take a look at him. I have some medical training.” The hostage nodded, but the woman in purple opened a pouch on her belt and turned to Barry, holding out a small pair of surgical scissors. “Get them untied while I treat him,” she said.

Barry nodded, and moved at normal speed through the group of hostages - seventeen not including the man on the ground. By the time he got back to the man, the woman in purple (he really needed a better name for her), already had the man sitting up, eating a protein bar and sipping on some water. Where she’s got the supplies, he had no idea.

“Is he going to be alright?” Barry asked.

“Oh, he’ll be fine. Some cuts and scrapes, maybe a bit of bruising - but he doesn’t have a concussion. He got lucky.” She turned to the man. “What did you say your name was?”

The man blinked. “It’s uh, Alexi. Alexi Monroe. Who are you?” Then his eyes widened. “I mean, thank you - I can’t thank you enough. But what superhero are you?”

Barry looked at the woman with renewed interest, but she only shrugged. “No one’s named me yet, so I don’t know. Maybe that’s up to you to decide, Alexi.”

Police lights flashed as the squad cars pulled up, and Barry turned away, pressing his earpiece. “Caitlin, Cisco, I’m headed back. Cisco, please tell me the suit cameras were on.”

“Dude why? I mean of course they were on but-” 

“You’ll see. Hold on a sec.” Barry turned around, and watched as the woman put the last of her medical supplies away. He handed her the scissors, and they promptly vanished into a pocket. “How are you planning on leaving?” He asked her.

She met his eyes with a secretive smile, “Like this,” she whispered, and vanished.

 

Cisco huffed at the footage, then turned to Caitlin. “I mean, how even? We’ve already seen Peekaboo teleport, but this is way different. Like way different.” He said, gesticulating wildly with his hands.

“She’s not like Peekaboo, Cisco.” Caitlin sighed. “And we don’t have her DNA. We have no way of determining her powers.”

Cisco shook his head in disgust. “So the only thing we know is that she’s probably a meta. That’s great.”

Barry shrugged, walking into the cortex again. “Well, that’s not all we know. She say’s she’s a friendly, and she was obviously trained. Should we even worry about it if she’s on our side? I mean - this might not be our problem.”

Caitlin nodded. “Barry’s right, Cisco. So long as she’s helpful, there’s no point in going after her. The last thing we need to do is turn her into an enemy.”

“Still,” grumbled Cisco, “It’d be nice to know something about her - even if it’s superficial. I mean, it would be really nice to find out who else was surprised by her appearance, because I don't want to be the only one.” Then Cisco’s face brightened. “I have an idea!”

Barry didn’t like the next look that Cisco gave him.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Joe asked.

Barry shrugged. “It’s just a few questions. If we find out anything, it’ll be worth it.”

Joe shook his head. “I just don’t get why Cisco thinks that Snart is going to give us any information.”

Barry shrugged again. “Even if Snart doesn’t know anything, it’ll be helpful. In fact, the less he knows about her, the better - we just want to make sure that she isn’t a Rouge.”

“Alright, Barr, I get it.” Joe chuckled, raising his hands. “Now get in there - I’ll be right behind you.”

Barry sat and waited as Leonard Snart was buzzed into the room. Almost contemptuously, the other man sat down and slid the phone off of it’s cradle. “Good to see you again, Barry. But you should probably stop visiting - someone will think I’ve been turned into an informant.”

Barry couldn’t help the smile from breaking out over his face. “That’s ironic.” Snart raised an eyebrow. “I need some information on a meta.”

Snart sat back in his chair. “What, Doctor Light? The only thing I know about her is her name.”

A wave of confusion hit Barry. “How do you know about Doctor Light?”

Snart smirked. “Even in here Barry, there are ways to get information on... current events.”

Barry shook his head, giving up on ever understanding the way things worked in a prison. Maybe he’d ask his dad the next time he saw him. “Fine. So you know about Doctor Light. But I’m here about something else. Someone else.”

Snart cocked his head to the side, looking like the proverbial cat who’d caught the canary. “I’m interested. Ask away.” 

“Are you still in contact with Peekaboo?” asked Barry.

Snart’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask?”

Barry carded his free hand through his hair, and Snart’s eyes tracked the movement intently. “We have a new meta in town. We’re pretty sure she’s a friendly, but - it might be Peekaboo.”

“Why would you be here if that meta was friendly, Barry? That doesn’t seem to happen very often - you should enjoy it while it lasts.”

Barry ignored the veiled jab. “We need to know if it was Peekaboo, okay? Or if you’ve ever heard of another meta with medical training that can teleport.”

Snart sat back, clearly thinking about something Barry had just said. Slowly, he asked, “She had medical training?” Barry nodded, and Snart pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Sounds like Baez.” he admitted unhappily.

Frowning, Barry leaned forwards. “Except that a few things don’t match - her version of teleportation isn’t limited to what she can see, and from what I could see, this ‘new’ meta doesn’t match Baez’s skin tone. She also seems to have some sort of scare tactic - voice manipulation, or something. So tell me, Snart, has anyone new been working with the Rogues?”

Snart relaxed at his words. “No, there’s no one new that I know of, and trust me, Lisa and Mick wouldn’t take on any new recruits without me. As far as I know, Baez was visiting Gotham for a bit - something she wanted there.” Then Snart shrugged. “It seems this new meta really is on your side, Barry. Like I said - enjoy it while it lasts.”

Barry smiled. “Thanks, Snart.”

“It’s not a favor, Barry.” Snart said, rolling his eyes as he put the phone back in it’s cradle. For a moment, Snart hesitated, as if about to pick up the phone again, but then he got up and faced the guards.

Barry watched as his nemesis was lead from the room, a smile on his face. For once, a conversation with the man had gone well - and Barry would be sure to remind him of it the next time they spoke. Snart had done good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally this chapter was going to be longer, but I decided to break it up into two parts. Don't worry, the next part will be out VERY soon, and will be titled Mystery Meta Part Two. Leave me some feedback, and I will love you forever!


	4. Mystery Meta Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len is worried about the new meta... so he just might try to help. Unfortunately, he needs some help of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, here goes! This chapter was originally part of Mystery Meta (part one) but I decided to split them up and make them longer. I hope you enjoy!

As soon as Len was lead out of the meeting with Barry, he found the bulletin board and signed up for a session with Dr. DeNoel. Funny, Len thought, it was almost impossible to think of Harmony as someone who held a PhD. 

The one thing he was sure of was that he wasn’t in the loop. A new meta? He really should have met with Harmony as soon as something had happened. He hadn’t appreciated not knowing what Barry had come for, nor did he appreciate not knowing about a new player. A new player that could teleport, for God's sake. Len was just itching to do a full threat analysis, to warn Lisa and Mick - to do something to make it feel like he had some control over the situation.

He paced impatiently outside of her office, then sat and tapped his foot anxiously. He’d been waiting for 2884 seconds when the door finally opened. McKinson stepped out and gave Len an appraising look. “Treat her nice, Snart.” he growled.

Len barely resisted rolling his eyes. “Trust me, McKinson, I would never hurt Dr. DeNoel. She’s the best shrink we’ve ever had.”

McKinson regarded Len stonily. “You bet she is. Now get in there.”

Len pushed past the other man and closed the door behind him. Harmony was tucking a few papers away, into a file cabinet with a lock on it, and she had her back turned to him. “How are you Len?” she asked.

He glowered at the desk and sat. “Barry just visited.”

“Yes, I know.” She slid into the chair behind the desk. “So I suppose you’re here to catch up on current events?”

Len grunted in affirmation, and Harmony’s fingers flew over the keyboard of her computer. But he couldn’t hold back his complaint. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

She looked up sharply, gray eyes cutting through him. “For me to tell you what’s been going on, we have to actually meet, Len. It’s not like I can send you letters. So here’s the deal: You sign up for a session, you get information. You don’t sign up, that’s not my problem.”

Len shook his head in exasperation. “Fine. But how?”

Harmony pulled up a different tab on her computer. “I could give you the 9:00 Monday session every week, and maybe meet you on Fridays too, also at nine. That would give you plenty of time to catch up with things.”

“Do it.” He sat back in his chair. “So what’s been happening?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Care to specify?”

This time, Len really did roll his eyes. “Start with The Flash and this new meta, then Lisa and Mick, then Barry Allen, then current events.”

Harmony turned the computer screen to Len, showing him an online article written by, ironically enough, Iris West. It read ‘Mystery Meta working with the Flash?’. Len scanned the article, re-creating the situation in his head. A hostage situation. Seventeen hostages, eight criminals armed with an assortment of cheap firearms. They had been newbies - tripped too many alarms. One of which had alerted S.T.A.R. Labs, and sent the Flash running to the rescue.

Len grabbed a pen from Harmony’s desk and unceremoniously took her notepad. She seemed about to protest, but stopped when she saw his intense concentration. Len ran a couple calculations in his head. The Flash had arrived less than ten seconds after the alarms had sounded, so he had to have been running somewhere close - Len had run into him enough times to know the difference between his arrivals. 

Yet somehow, the ‘Mystery Meta’ had gotten there first. So she had an alarm system too, or she had already been there. The first was more likely, taking into account her apparent teleportation powers. Quickly, Len began writing everything he could deduce about her. 

Has alarm system linked to city’s alarms. Confident. Trained in martial arts. Trained medically. Possibly military - she would have both if she had been a military doctor. Obviously smart. Most likely she had recently moved back into Central, or she had just figured out her powers. If so, that was strange - she’d most likely had them since the particle accelerator had exploded. She had to have a base of operations - maybe one or two people who knew her real identity. From what Barry had mentioned, she was part of the white population of Central, and Len quickly added the note ‘stable job/good income’ on the sheet. Where else would she get the equipment? And about the trick getting the guns to drop - maybe her superpowers were related to waves, or impulses - sound was a wave, and waves might explain her teleportation, too, if she could transport her own atoms across light waves. As far as he could tell, she’d been there for all the right reasons - she was on the Flash’s side. Which made her dangerous to the Rogues. 

Quickly, Len copied his notes onto two pages. When he was done, Len sat back and ripped off the several sheets of paper from the notepad. “Do you have couple of manila folders?” he asked Harmony. 

She frowned and handed him one from inside a drawer. “What are you planning on doing?”

Len smoothed out the papers and wrote ‘From: Cold’ and ‘To: Scarlet’ on the top of one and ‘From: Cold and ‘To: Gold & Heatwave’ on the other. Then he shoved them into the folders, marking one ‘Barry’ and leaving the other blank. “I’m thinking, Harmony. Now what’s new with Lisa and Mick?”

Harmony shrugged. “Nothing - at least as far as the media and I know. They don’t strike me as idiots, Len, so I don’t think they’ll do anything for a while. Satisfied?”

“Fine.” Len said shortly. No news was good news, as far as he was concerned. Maybe they’d even left town. “What about Barry?”

She sighed. “I would’ve thought you knew everything, considering he came to visit you. But there is some good news; I’ll be working with the CCPD for some psych evaluations - they need new one’s before the new year. I’ll tell you what I can, but I don’t know why you’re concerned about him. It’s almost like you care.”

“I don’t.” Len growled.

“Obviously, you do.” She retorted. “You’ve come in here every time he’s visited, and you’ve always been bothered by what he’s said. At the very least, you care about his opinion of you.” she pointed out.

Len deflected. “It doesn’t matter. I need you to give him this.” Len handed Harmony the folder marked ‘Barry’. “And I need you to drop this at a safe house of mine,” He continued, handing her the other folder.

Harmony handed the folders right back. “I know we have an agreement to treat each other as equals in here, Len, but I am not interested in delivering a message to Barry Allen for you, nor am I interested in making a ‘drop’ to Lisa and Mick. I am not your lapdog, I am not your personal aid, and I am not a criminal. Are we clear?”

“It’s important!” Len snapped. 

Harmony shook her head. “I don’t care. I’m not delivering anything of Captain Cold’s to the CCPD or his cronies.”

Len pointed at the folders. “That is what Barry came here to talk about.”

“And that should change my mind why?” 

“Consider this the one act of ‘being good’ I’m willing to show Barry.” Len muttered. He had to convince her to do this, somehow. His plan had to work, he had to warn Lisa, Mick, and The Flash. Maybe it was too helpful towards Barry - maybe it would cross a line, but if the kid wanted to find his ‘Mystery Meta,’ and Len had a few observations, well, why not tell the kid? As for Lisa and Mick, he needed them to know about the new meta, and he needed them to get out of town. But to do this, he needed Harmony.

“Look,” he pleaded, “I’m telling my ‘cronies’ to skip town, so you’d be helping the city, not hurting it. And if that other folder makes it to Barry, he’ll be able to help the CCPD with his case.” Len could tell that Harmony was softening, so he added, “Consider this; Captain Cold will owe you one.”

Harmony picked up the folders. “To be clear, Len, I’m doing this for the good of others, and also for your own good. I think doing this might be a step in the right direction for you, and I want you to know what being good feels like. I could care less about you owing me - but for this big a favor, you definitely owe me. Now how do I get this to a safe house of yours?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the next chapter is gonna get interesting. Poor Harmony, she has no idea what she just agreed to!


	5. Mission Impossible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmony is on a mission... dun dun dun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I finished this early because I had a snow day, so enjoy! It's from Harmony's perspective, which should be fun. This is mainly a transition chapter, but will be important later. By the way, none of these have been beta read, so gimme a shout out if something is wrong... otherwise, have fun!

On Tuesday, the day after she’d spoken with Len, Harmony called Captain Singh to begin scheduling the CCPD psych evaluations that she was supposed to get done before New Year’s. She’d asked to take care of the CSI’s first - her excuse being that she wanted them to get back to work as fast as they could. The captain had agreed, but had wanted to give the CSI’s some warning. So here she was, bright and early on a Thursday morning, parked outside of CCPD headquarters. Harmony took a minute to contemplate the irony of her job - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, she worked with criminals, Tuesdays and Thursdays, she worked with cops. Except that today, she was probably doing something illegal herself. Two illegal somethings, in fact. Sighing, Harmony got out of her car. There was no use in delaying - it would have to happen one way or another. Maybe she could even impress the Captain and score a permanent consulting job here. It sure as hell would be nice.

She walked into the building, briefcase in hand, and smiled at the guy behind the desk. “Hi, my name is-”

“Dr. DeNoel!” called Captain Singh, striding to meet her. “Good to see you. I have your schedule in my office, why don’t you come back there with me?”

Harmony plastered a smile on her face. “Of course!” she replied, while thinking, why in God’s name did Singh schedule my day for me? But it was too late to protest - apparently, he had arranged the CSI’s in order of least busy to most busy, and Harmony couldn’t argue with the convenience that she had touted just a couple of days ago. 

Boy did she have a long day in front of her, she thought, looking at the schedule. She sat through six hours of perfectly normal evaluations - which she found perfectly boring - before going out to lunch. It was only one in the afternoon, and she already felt like her soul was being sucked out of her by a pair of dementors. Gloomily, she returned to her temporary office - only to have the newest and most stressed CSI fall to tears on her shoulder. Harmony then wrote a pointed note to her supervisors to lay off a bit, and maybe move her into a partner lab - before she actually had a real mental breakdown.

Finally, at five, it was time for Barry’s session. So of course he was late. By fifteen whole minutes. And she was not in the mood. He came whipping in, shutting the door with a smile. “Sorry I’m-”

“Late?” She finished. “Of course that’s of no inconvenience to me at all, Mr. Allen. Please, sit.” The smile drained off of his face, and she sighed, feeling guilty. “I apologize, Mr. Allen, but this has been a long day and I won’t be in again until next week. I was hoping to leave before seven, because that’s the same time I arrived here this morning.”

Barry rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I just got kind of held up - there was this piece of evidence that totally-” Harmony shuffled the papers in front of her, and he broke off. “Sorry, you don’t want to hear about that, do you?”

Harmony gave him a smile. “I probably wouldn’t understand it anyway, Mr. Allen. If you would sign these?” she handed him a few of the papers.

Barry shifted. “Would you mind calling me Barry? Mr. Allen is my Dad.”

Harmony nearly laughed. No wonder Len had taken a liking to the CSI. “Of course, Barry.” She walked him through the evaluation, perfectly satisfied with his mental heath, and almost forgot about the manila folder burning a hole in her briefcase. “Oh, wait! I have something for you!” she exclaimed. Barry gave her a confused look. Harmony sighed. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but one of my patients said that if I give you this, I might be saving lives.”

Barry’s expression went from confused to worried. “What?”

Harmony bit her lip. This was such a bad idea. She was definitely losing her medical license forever. “Don’t worry, I watched him write this... it’s just a letter. He seemed to think that it was essential that I gave it to you.”

Barry was definitely worried, judging by the crease between his eyebrows. “Who?”

“Leonard Snart.”

Barry’s face lit up in shock and happiness, like he was a puppy that had just been told he was going for a walk. “Really?” He eagerly took the folder and opened it, grinning as soon as he saw whatever Len had written at the top. Harmony felt a bit better about the situation already. After all, if Barry was happy about receiving a letter from Snart, he probably wouldn’t tell anyone. And maybe she didn’t have to feel so guilty if it made him this happy.

Then again, why the hell would a CSI be excited to receive a not from a world-class criminal? Harmony shook the thought off - it was too late to take the letter back. And she still had one more to deliver.

The next delivery would be a lot harder, she new, but Barry interrupted her thoughts. “So you’re the new psychiatrist at Iron Heights?” Harmony nodded. “And Snart actually agreed to a session?”

Harmony smiled. “Well, as long as I give him some news, he’s happy to answer a couple of questions - but I really can’t tell you more.”

Barry nodded in understanding. “I get it.” 

He got up to leave again when Harmony thought of something. “Did Len ask you his question the other day?”

Barry frowned at her. “Uh...no? Not as far as I can...Oh!” Comprehension dawned on his face. “He was about to, but he didn’t. Why? Was it important?”

Harmony shrugged. “He’s having some... issues coming to terms with your faith in him.” Barry tilted his head to one side, and Harmony elaborated. “You believe he’s a good man.”

Barry’s eyes flew open. “He told you about that?!” The CSI squawked.

Harmony couldn’t help her smile - Barry and Len’s situation was too funny. Then she sobered. “For the record, Barry - I think you could be right.”

Barry flushed, mumbled something, and quickly left the room. Harmony couldn’t help but feel like she’d just started something without knowing the full extent of what was going on. However, she was positive that Barry Allen wasn’t just ‘some cop’ to Len, just as Len wasn’t a ‘common criminal’ to Barry. There was something off about their dynamic, and Harmony wondered if Len had been at all truthful about how he and Barry had met. Probably not, she decided, but their meeting was certainly a step in the right direction for Len, and she was happy with that.

 

Harmony was finally able to escape from the precinct at 7:15, and she raced to her car - driving faster than was probably necessary in order to reach her destination before she had the opportunity to chicken out. Her hands were sweating as she anxiously pulled up in front of the address that Len had given her. She got out of the car, clutching the second manila folder as if it was a shield, like it could somehow ward off the unfriendly atmosphere of the neighborhood. Len had warned her that the safe house wasn’t high-end, or anywhere close to it, but Harmony did not want to appear to be an outsider.

Quickly, she approached the door and keyed a code into the small key-box that rental places normally had. The box popped open, and Harmony took out the key, slipping inside with ease. She looked down the hallway, surprised to see that a light had been left on. Maybe it was on some sort of timer? It certainly would keep up the appearance that the house was lived in.

Out of habit, Harmony toed off her shoes. Then she looked up and gave a yelp of surprise, leaping backwards into the wall. Lisa Snart was standing in the lit doorway, a smirk plastered on her face.

“Well, well, well,” she purred, “I think I’d be very interested in how you knew how to get in here.” Harmony’s heart pounded wildly. Goddamn Leonard Snart! He’d said that Lisa wouldn’t use this place unless she had too! Lisa’s eyes narrowed. “Mick!” she called, without looking away from Harmony, “We’ve got company!”

“W-wait!” Harmony stammered as the large form of Mick Rory rounded the corner. “Len sent me!” She held the letter out to them. “You’re Lisa, Len’s sister, and you’re Mick, Len’s best friend.” The two Rogues paused, and Harmony continued desperately, “Lisa, you call him Lenny. Mick, your first words to Len were, ‘top bunk or bottom bunk’ because you were cellmates.”

Lisa’s posture relaxed slightly. “How do you know Lenny?” she asked, plucking the letter out of Harmony’s grasp. 

Harmony laughed nervously. “I’m actually the new psychiatrist at Iron Heights.”

Lisa ran her eyes over Harmony, and Harmony got the distinct impression that she was being sized up. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Harmony. Harmony DeNoel.” Harmony said before realizing that she had just told two criminals her actual identity. Damn it... this was not how this was supposed to be going!

Lisa smiled. “Well Harmony, would you care to join us for dinner?”

Harmony had never felt so surprised in her life. “Um...Sure?” So that was how it came to be that Harmony DeNoel found herself setting the table with Heatwave and discussing Len’s problems with Lisa as if they had been friends for years. Everything was going as smoothly as dinner with two world class criminals and a psychiatrist could (God that sounded like the start of a terrible joke), until Harmony got an alert on her phone.

She felt the blood drain from her face as she turned to face Lisa. “Turn on the TV,” she croaked. The three of them stared in horror at the emergency broadcast.

“Look at your hero,” the dark-suited man growled. Then he hoisted The Flash into the air as if he weighed nothing. “This man is no god. He is nothing!” Then the message repeated, over and over, and over again, and Harmony had never felt so helpless in her life. All she could do was watch in abject horror, until a stunned silence was all that remained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... so you probably know what chapter is coming next. Please leave me some comments on what you think of my characterization, because I really want to make sure that Barry and Len are spot on for the next chapter. And fair warning, there may be POV switches in the next chapter as well. Yay!


	6. Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much does Len care about The Flash?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I spent a LOT of time on this chapter trying to make it perfect, so please tell me if it's not. One cool thing - this chapter ended up being exactly 2000 words, and if that isn't a sign, I don't know what is. Anyway, Len's about to get wrecked, so I'm sure you're more interested in that. Proceed!

Len had already sat down in Harmony’s office before he realized that something was wrong. Harmony was sitting gingerly in the chair beside his, face tight and strained. It wasn’t a look he’d seen on her before. “What happened?” he asked.

She looked at him, then got up slowly, reaching for the computer on her desk. “Don’t worry, I delivered your letters - Mick and Lisa are nice, by the way - but there’s something you need to see.”

Len felt a moment of confusion. “Lisa and Mick are-”

“Nice, yes. I had dinner with them.” She said, cutting him off.

Dinner? he thought. His respect for Harmony increased exponentially. She’d run into Lisa and Mick and had _dinner_ with them? without something going horribly wrong? Obviously she was made of a tougher metal than he had originally thought, if they had a) taken a liking to her and, b) managed to have dinner without a catastrophe. After all, having dinner with Heat Wave and The Golden Glider had (unfortunately) resulted in casualties before. He watched with suspicious interest as Harmony pulled up a video from a new station. “What’s that?”

“Something you need to see.” She replied, and hit play.

 

Len's stomach dropped in horror as wave after wave of shock crashed over him.

No.

No, this couldn't be happening. Someone had beat The Flash, but that wasn't possible. If anyone knew that, it was him.

Time ceased to matter, his internal clock stuttered and died. His breaths came fast and shallow, his heart pounded.

No one could beat The Flash. He'd tried. He'd failed.

Then, The Flash had become a game, a new challenge. Someone Len respected. Someone who had forced Len to up his own game. Someone whom he had grudgingly, gradually grown to know and understand.

But The Flash wasn't just The Flash. The Flash was Barry Allen.

Barry Allen. Barry Allen, the best person Len had ever known. The only person who had treated Len as an equal that wasn't Lisa or Mick.

Barry Allen was hurt, and Len knew that the kid's recovery would be even harder because the kid cared. He cared about what others thought of him. He would be ashamed, confidence broken. The Black Speedster had not only broken The Flash, he had broken Barry Allen, Len thought, and the thought gave him physical pain, like a series of blows.

For the first time since killing his father, Len felt as if the walls of the prison were crushing him. He wanted, no, he needed to be on the other side. He needed to push Barry's buttons, to be the good old nemesis that Barry could count on. He needed to make sure The Flash was alive.

Oh God. Oh God. Len's throat constricted, his hands tightening on the arms of the chair. The panic became all consuming, Len was drowning. Oh God. What if Barry was dead? What if Len would never see the kid again? The world needed The Flash.

The room swam in front of Len's eyes, and suddenly Harmony was in front of him. Or perhaps she had been there for a while, Len wasn’t sure. She was murmuring, but he didn’t care what she was saying. Then she took his hands from the arms of the chair and squeezed, and the firm contact brought Len spiraling back. 

He sucked in air, his whole body shuddering. How long had he been gone?

“I apologize." Len choked, and he was surprised by how unsteady his voice sounded. He slid his hands from Harmony's grasp, but as soon as he did, they began shaking uncontrollably. Before he could check himself, his hands moved back towards her. Then he stopped, not wanting to need the contact.

She took his hands as if sensing his internal dilemma and murmured, “Don't apologize, Len. It's not your fault."

Len waited until he was sure his voice wouldn't shake. It still sounded small and weak, but at least he had some semblance of control. “That hasn't happened in a long time." He dropped his gaze to their hands, and Harmony didn't make him look up again. 

Instead, she softly asked, “Len? Can you tell me about the first panic attack you ever had?" Len closed his eyes, feeling sick. “It's okay, Len. You tell me when you're ready. It's alright. Just breathe...in...and out...in...and out."

Len was finally able to start marking time again, and they stayed that way for one hundred and eighty six seconds, Len with his eyes closed, breathing to Harmony's slow pace, grounded by her grip on his hands.

Then Len opened his eyes, ready to speak. “My father. He went to prison. Got caught stealing some stupid emerald. I was seven, almost eight. He went away for five years. Came back when I was twelve. Ten months later, Lisa was born. I know it wasn't planned. During my mother's pregnancy, my father would get drunk, yell, throw things. He got physical before she told him she was pregnant, but he wouldn't hit her once he found out. I was a different matter. The dumb, snarky kid who has a big mouth and didn't show his father any respect. Lewis didn't like that. Started giving me... Lessons." 

Len paused for a minute, gathering his thoughts once more. “After Lisa was born, my father started hitting my mom again. She would get him away from me, but I guess I never really understood just how bad it was. I was scared, I would go hide and keep Lisa quiet. Until..." 

Len swallowed. He'd never told anyone this, not even Lisa. He'd let Lisa believe that their mom had died of a sudden illness. “Until one night, it got really bad. I went upstairs, heard them shouting, heard him throw things and go after her. It lasted until maybe midnight. I don't know who went for the stairs, but, next thing I knew, it was silent. At about two, I went out to check on my mom - we would always patch each other up." Len closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, forcing the last bit out. “It was two o’ seven when I found her body at the bottom of the stairs. Lewis had broken her neck. I went back to Lisa's room, and I guess that was my first panic attack. I passed out." 

For a moment, the story was over. Then Len added, in a voice that could barely be heard, “That was when my dad started forcing me to help him - he made me help hide her body." In some ways, a weight lifted from his shoulders once he was done. Finally, someone knew. But at the same time, all of the regrets, all of the pain came back fresh. 

He didn't know when he'd begun to cry, maybe during the panic attack, maybe during the story. It wasn't more that a few tears - but they were embarrassing enough to wipe away. 

As if by some unspoken rule, neither he or Harmony spoke as she handed him a tissue. He appreciated the silence, as well as the moment she gave him to compose himself, immensely.

“I’m sorry, Len.”

Len bristled. “Save it, Doc. It was thirty years ago.”

“But it still hurts, you still feel it. And that won’t ever change.”

Len looked up sharply. How- “Who did you lose?” He asked.

“Only everyone.” Harmony said softly, shaking her head. “My mother, my father... the love of my life...yeah, only everyone.”

Len felt a degree of remorse for snapping at her. “My condolences.” He stated, surprising himself with his own sincerity. 

She acknowledged his words with a smile, then sobered. “However, Len, the person we’re here to talk about is you.”

Len had no argument - she was his therapist, he’d just had a panic attack. He’d have to answer the questions anyway, and it wouldn’t do to put them off. “I’m all yours, Harmony.”

“How did what I show you make you feel?” Len stared at her. Wasn’t that part obvious? She sighed. “I need to hear in your words, Len. It’ll help me understand how you were processing it, and it’ll help you to understand it yourself. I promise.”

Len thought for a second, then started at the beginning. “When I first started facing The Flash, he forced me to up my game. I thought I could beat him - sometimes I did. But he could beat me too, and we both knew that.” There was a pause, unintentional, but there nonetheless. “Eventually, we came to respect each other - he even asked for my help once.” Len smiled. “Of course, I betrayed him, but then he helped me. I owe him one, currently.”

“Very detailed account.” Harmony observed sarcastically. Then she tilted her head. “Why do you owe him one?”

Len shrugged. “He let me kill my father.” Harmony looked at him skeptically. “You see, he and I have a deal.” Len elaborated, “He lets me plan heists and doesn’t run me out of town, and I don’t kill or reveal his identity to anyone. Obviously, I broke our agreement by killing my father.”

“How could he have possibly stopped you from killing your father?” 

“He was there.” Len stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

“But there’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” She asked.

Len was one hundred percent sure that it wasn’t a question. She knew. He got up, wandering around the small space. “He saved my sister - that was why I was working with my father again. Lewis put a _bomb_ into my sister’s head. The Flash and his team - they got it out. The kid even infiltrated my father’s team.”

Harmony’s eyebrows had climbed to an impressive height. “So let me get this straight - you started off as enemies, you made a deal, you betrayed him, he helped you, and then you broke your deal in front of him. But you respect him, and, after everything I’ve heard, you more than owe him one.”

When put that simply, it did sound rather bad, Len admitted to himself. “That’s right.”

“There’s just one thing I don’t understand.”

“What’s that?” Len asked, not liking where this was headed.

“You never told anyone his identity? Even when you betrayed him?”

Len nodded. “Not even Lisa.”

Harmony nodded. “So I’m going to suggest something crazy, alright?”

Len cocked a brow at her. “Yeah? What would that be?”

“You actually care about what happens to The Flash.” 

Len turned and stood, speechless and confused in front of Harmony. “I what?”

“You actually care. You didn’t at first - but then you respected him. In turn, he respected you. You know his name, his one weakness, but you’ve never told anyone. Because that’s the one rule you’d never break. Now, he’s even helped your sister, and that’s your weakness. You can’t deny it Len - you had a panic attack when he was injured, and that seems to be a way for you to respond to loss. You care about what happens to The Flash.” Len didn’t move, he didn’t make a sound, and Harmony went on. “So I’ll promise you something. I’ll keep you updated on Lisa, Mick, and Barry - but I am taking a special interest in The Flash. I won’t look into his identity, but I’ll figure out whether or not he’s alright. In the meantime, you need to get how you feel sorted out. Think about how much that news will mean to you, and that’ll give you a place to start. Figure out how much you care, Len. Now get out of my office and tell whoever’s next to come in.”

Len left Harmony’s office in a bit of a daze, playing the doctor’s words in his head over and over again. How much did he care about The Flash? How much did he care about Barry Allen? And why was he feeling relieved at her promise of finding information?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I just couldn't help but include the new look at Len's past that LoT gave us. If you haven't seen the episode, go find it - it's incredible. Also, make sure to tell me how that was, because that was SO hard to write. See you all soon!


	7. Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry feels broken and left out as Cisco begins working a metahuman case with the CCPD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooo sorry that it has been so long since I posted! I got sick, and still am sick, but I really wanted to get this out to you guys, even if it was a bit late! I hope you enjoy it, and hopefully there aren't any errors (I don't have a beta-reader).

Barry sat stolidly in front of his suit, wondering if he’d ever put it on again. Caitlin had said that his back was healing right, but no one could tell him if he’d ever be able to do more that walk. And that hurt Barry on every possible level. He was The Flash, The Flash was him. If Zoom had taken that part of him away for good, Barry didn’t know what he was going to do.

The one thing he couldn’t do was leave S.T.A.R. Labs, and while he never thought he’d grow tired of the place, living there certainly wasn’t ideal. He felt like he was on display - if not because of how much the others were with him, it was because he knew there were cameras everywhere. He wanted to rant and rage, he wanted to throw things and scream at the unfairness of it all. But here, that wasn’t an option. Cisco would check out the sudden use of any spare room, and it wouldn’t help anyone if he threw a fit.

Then a new thought occurred to Barry. What if he couldn’t be The Flash anymore? Not that he wouldn’t have his speed, but who would want a hero that had gotten his ass handed to him on live TV? What if everyone hated him because he’d lost? What if he just couldn’t save the city anymore? The burning pit in his stomach felt a bit more hollow at the thought. He wasn’t good enough anymore, was he? He-

“Dude!” Cisco exclaimed, walking into the cortex, “That new Mystery Meta made a couple of appearances yesterday - are you okay?”

Barry had jumped and spun the chair around, causing his back to protest violently. He stayed still until the pain faded then nodded. “Yeah, I’m alright. You just caught me by surprise.”

Cisco gave him an apologetic look. “Hey man, I’m sorry.” The his expression brightened. “But about that Mystery Meta - the CCPD wants me to analyze a fight she had with some gang leader last night.”

Barry forced a smile. “Sounds great, Cisco,” he said, but on the inside he was hurt. He had been replaced. This city didn’t need him. They had the ‘Mystery Meta’

Cisco shook his head. “Barry, don’t you get what this means? We might be able to get some of her DNA, too.”

Comprehension dawned, and Barry grinned. Good old Cisco Ramon. “You still want to figure out her powers?”

“Are you kidding? Of course! I mean, that vanishing trick she pulled has been bugging me since you first met her. I mean, it’s cool and all, but how does it work?” Cisco enthused, starting to pace.

Barry watched his friend with a smile. Then the sinking feeling came back. “How did her fight with that other Meta go?” he asked, hoping that it’d hadn’t been great. Then he instantly felt guilty and ashamed. He hoped it had gone well - this city didn’t need anything else to go wrong.

Cisco hemmed and hawed. “She did, um, well- I can’t explain it. Can I show you?”

Barry shrugged, then winced. He was a bit interested. “Go ahead.” He wheeled his way around the desk, hit the corner, backed up, and tried again with a sigh of frustration. Thankfully, Cisco pretended not to see it. Then he pulled up in front of the computer screen and Cisco pressed the ‘play’ button on a video.

“Here we have footage from last night’s rooftop battle, as the unnamed hero went up against The Thinker, the notorious leader of several rising gangs in several of the rougher parts of Central City. We must warn you, the following footage may not be appropriate for some ages.” A reporter stated, before the news cut to a news helicopter circling a roof, spotlights flooding the scene. 

The door to the roof slammed open and a man in a blue suit came tearing through, kicking the door shut behind him. Then, just before it could close all the way, the door was smashed back in it’s hinges as the Mystery Meta came hurtling after him. At a dead sprint, she was far faster than the other man, and he seemed to know that. He dodged around an industrial air conditioner and froze. 

The woman in purple slowed, motions almost catlike as she tilted her head. Then, with a flash of light, she appeared directly in front of her adversary. The man, shocked, scrambled back the way he had come, then stopped, and began to circle. She mirrored his movements gracefully, seeming unintimidated by his readiness to fight.

Then something unexpected happened. The man reached for his oddly-shaped helmet with both hands, and the woman threw out a hand, speaking in the same fear instilling voice that she had used with the would-be bank robbers. **“Don’t try it, Thinker! You know I can-”** But it was too late.

A burst of- was that energy? - flew from the helmet, rushing outwards in waves.

But no - it wasn’t possible! The woman was still standing, hand outstretched, collecting the energy. Then she thrust forwards with her other hand, and the energy _rebounded,_ flying back into the helmet.

The Thinker collapsed soundlessly, and the news cut back to the reporter. “Our new superhero stuck around just long enough to see The Thinker taken into custody before vanishing in her trademark flash of light. Where she’ll appear next, we don’t know, but-”

Cisco cut the clip of and sat back, glancing at Barry. “Any ideas?”

Barry thought for a second, then switched to thinking out loud. “From what it looks like, the Thinker’s helmet projected energy - but what was the source? And if she was able to stop _energy_ using her powers, why can she teleport?”

Cisco nodded. “That's what I was wondering, too.” He got up and started pacing again. “After all, we saw Baez's version of teleportation, and it is _nothing_ like Mystery Meta's. Shawna _required_ light in order to use her powers - she couldn't go anywhere that she couldn't see. But Violet Vixen -no, that is _such_ a bad name, ignore it- anyway, she was able to teleport to a place she couldn't see. But she had to light up in order to do it, so light is still involved.” He shook his head and turned to face Barry. “But now I'm talking myself in circles. And I haven't even _started_ on the way she manipulated whatever The Thinker threw at her.”

Barry nodded. Cisco was right, there was no clear link between the woman's powers. Nor did they understand anything about how the powers worked. He moved to rub the back on his neck, then stopped at the twinge in his back. “At least the CCPD is going to let you look at the helmet- that'll give us some ideas.”

Cisco nodded, and his phone buzzed. He checked it. “Captain Singh want me over there. He glanced guiltily at Barry. “Will you be alright if I-”

“Go, Cisco.” Barry said, cutting him off with a smile. “I’ll be fine here.”

 

Cisco grumbled to himself as he poured over a blood spatter sample from the Meta crime scene. Technically, he was supposed to be analyzing the Thinker’s blood - mainly to determine if the man was a metahuman - but Cisco was looking at the Mystery Meta’s blood instead.

He’d been done with the Thinker’s blood for over half an hour - but no one needed to know that. The man was just a normal human.

And that was why Mystery Meta’s blood was so much more interesting. There was something in her blood that was almost reflective, and it was proving highly elusive. He might have to dye a slide or two of the cells in order to properly see them, and he’d definitely want to extract some DNA.

“Who are you?” He muttered. “What are you?”

“Do you really want to know?” 

Cisco’s head shot up as he looked towards one of the shadows in the corner. As he watched, a woman’s figure became visible, and she stepped into the light. “Be my guest, Cisco Ramon. Ask away.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, sorry this was late. The next chapter is in the works!


	8. Mind Muse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco and the Mystery Meta have a couple of interesting conversations and she asks for his help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guy, so sorry for the long wait! hopefully the length of this chapter helps (it seriously got away from me though). It's a bit of an info dump, but it's fun and I really did my best with the sciency bits. Enjoy the completely unplanned Cisco takeover!

Cisco backed away from the table and swallowed, reaching for his phone before realizing that even if he sent out a distress call, Barry wouldn’t be able to answer. He was on his own. “So you’re the Mystery Meta.” He stated, trying not to sound completely freaked. How long had she been-

“Yes, and don’t worry, I haven’t been here long.”

Cisco felt a surge of adrenaline shooting through his veins. Could she...?

“Yes, Mr. Ramon, I can read minds. But don’t worry, I’m going to stop now. All I want to do is talk.” She put her hands up and moved forwards, pulling up a chair.

Warily, Cisco pulled up his own chair and sat. “Why do you want to talk?”

“I want the world to know what my powers are.” She explained. “Of course, it might be bad for my enemies to know my powers too, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. I want the public to know me - I want them to feel safe around me, not scared.”

Cisco nodded. “Okay, but why talk to me? You could’ve gone to the press, or something.”

She nodded. “Yes, but I’d like for you to take a look at my powers, as well as provide a copy of any results to me. I only have a rudimentary idea of how my own powers work, and I’ll admit, I would love to know more.”

Cisco nodded. “I can get you the results. But I’ll need a better blood sample at the very least.”

The woman slipped a hand into one of the pockets of her medical belt, then set a small glass vial on the table. “I believe this will suffice. Could you get the results to me by the same time, two days from now?”

Cisco nodded, vaguely disturbed by the vial of blood now sitting on the desk. She had medical training, and could take her own blood - did she just not have the right equipment to analyze it with? And why had she chosen him?

“There is one more thing I would like to ask of you, Mr. Ramon.” 

Cisco looked up.

“The Flash - is he alive? Will he return?”

Cisco’s mouth dropped open as he tried to come up with an excuse. “I don’t know what you’re-”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Cisco. Now please, tell me. I can’t be the only hero around forever - I’m not as good as the Flash. The truth is, this city needs him more than it needs me. So, is he coming back?”

Cisco sighed and ran a hand over his face. Why did he have to be the one to tell her this? Why couldn’t she have just asked someone else? “Ba- The Flash is alive. And recovering. With any luck, we think he’ll be running again in a week, two at most.”

The woman nodded. “Thank you.” She pulled her chair out and stood up, turning to leave.

“Wait!” Cisco called, and she froze, before half turning towards him. “Your name - it can’t be Mystery Meta forever.”

A smile flitted across her lips. “No, it can’t. But I trust you’ll come up with a good name, Cisco, especially once you’ve taken a look at my powers.” Then there was a blinding flash of violet light, and the woman was gone.

Cisco pocketed the small vial, and began mentally making a list of questions to ask the Meta when she returned. He had forty-eight hours.

 

Forty eight hours later, Cisco was standing alone in Barry’s lab. He’d thought it would be wise, to meet in the same place. But if anyone walked in...

The truth was, the meeting place sucked, and Cisco knew it. Once Barry was better, it certainly wouldn’t work, and it might just raise some interesting questions now. Cisco tapped the pad in his hand nervously against his other palm. 

Then he gave up, fired it up, and looked over the test results again. He’d committed them to memory, but at least this would serve as some form of distraction. Then he pulled up the questions he wanted to ask. Those weren’t memorized - and he was sure he’d come up with plenty more while talking with the Meta.

She’d been in another fight the previous night - this time stopping an armed robbery of a jewelry store. Cisco had hacked the footage, just to get another look at her in action. Pacing, Cisco turned over a few names in his head. The Flashlight - wow, that was awful. Siren - no, that made her sound like someone who lured men to their deaths. Violet Vixen - yeesh, that was just as awful. Magenta Mind - um, that wasn’t great, but the M’s seemed to work. If she went from being Mystery Meta to...

Mind Mage? No.

Mage Mind? Even worse.

Cisco huffed. Apparently, his muses weren’t working today. Wait - muses!

“Mind Muse!” He whispered to the empty room. 

There was a brilliant flash of violet light. “You called?” The woman said, stepping forward. “By the way, I love the name - I knew I could trust you to come up with something perfect.”

Cisco grinned - and then remembered that he wasn’t supposed to trust strangers, especially strangers that were stronger than him. The smile slid of his face, and he attempted to sound as impressive as possible. “Yeah, it’s a good name. But in exchange for this data, I’m gonna need some answers, alright?”

A smile flitted across Mystery Meta, no, Mind Muse’s mouth. “Of course. And I suppose, from the name, you figured out my mental powers?”

Cisco nodded, and she stepped over to view the tablet with him. “Okay, so right _here_? That’s where your DNA is spliced - you’ve developed the ability for each of your cells to detect the electrical signals of another person, and project it to your mind in a way that you can interpret the thoughts and feelings.”

Mind Muse nodded. “When I first got my powers, I thought I was hallucinating - the world that I live in now is a very strange one. What you said - about my cells sending stimuli to my brain - I can see colors, like auras of emotions around people, and occasionally I can hear their thoughts or feel their senses. There’ve been a few times when it was so powerful that I could smell something related to a thought or feeling.”

Cisco whistled. “Dude, I’m not sure whether that’s cool or sucky.”

She laughed. “It’s a bit of both, really. Most of the time I can keep it under control - it’s only ever a problem if I’m really injured or incapacitated in some way.”

Cisco nodded. “So you can use your powers to see others emotions and thoughts. Have you ever tried it in reverse?”

“Only as a last resort. That kind of power - the power to influence other’s minds - it’s far too dangerous.” She said quietly.

Cisco was relieved at her answer. She was actually shaping up to be a pretty good hero...and Barry was going to kill him if he ever found out that he’d thought that. Cisco shook it off, and swiped to a different part of the sample. “Okay, so I was trying to figure out your teleportation and light thing, but I’m having problems relating it to your other powers. You see here-”

She cut across him. “I think I have an answer for you, about how they’re related.” Cisco motioned for her to continue. “The light energy that my cells use to interpret emotion might be integral to my cells. In fact, I think that I can literally turn the particles of my body into particles of light. Then I’m able to use the wave properties of light to transport myself to another position. It only looks like teleportation because my particles are moving as fast as the invisible light spectrum.”

Comprehension dawned in Cisco’s eyes. “Yes! See, I was wondering what these new double-membraned structures in your cells were. I think they help you manipulate light. You see, when you ‘teleport’ your whole body turns into visible light for one second before shifting to a higher frequency, and making your particles invisible to the human eye. That’s also why the flash of light before you teleport is violet - it’s the visible light with the highest frequency.”

Mind Muse nodded. “That makes sense. But there’s one other thing... I can turn invisible without transporting myself.”

Cisco took another look at her blood sample. “Okaaay... I think that has something to do with these,” He said, pointing out the reflective pieces in her cells. “Whatever these are, they allow you to reflect and refract light on a cellular level, or at least I think they do. I had noticed them earlier, even when I hadn’t done a micro analysis of the cell structure. If you rotate your cells the right way, even when you’re visible, you might be able to see them.”

Mind Muse took a look at her own arm in interest. “So I’m a walking shiny Pokémon?”

Cisco couldn’t help the laugh - she was funny. “Well, not quite, but I have a feeling you’re suppressing that one subconsciously, or you might look a lot more like a Cullen.”

She laughed again. “You don’t have to worry, Cisco, I’m no vampire!” Then she sobered. “Seriously, though, Cisco, I need to thank you for this. It helps to have some of my hypothesis verified by someone who knows what they're doing when it comes to metahumans.”

Cisco nodded. “Before you go, would you mind answering a few questions? And while we’re at it, we need a better meeting place than Barry’s lab.”

Mind Muse considered the offer for a moment before drawing up a chair. “Okay. The meeting place is easy - if you call out with your mind, I’ll be able to hear you and transport myself to your location. But what questions do you have?”

Cisco grinned. “Well, you answered some, but there are some things I’d like to know that you didn’t say. For instance, how did you get your powers, or why? Most Metas went through something situational, so were you in an MRI or brain scan or-”

She shook her head, grinning. “No, I’m just a therapeutic psychologist - I help people by analyzing their thoughts and feelings. When the particle reactor exploded, I was using light therapy to induce a hypnotic state in a patient with a very mild case of split personality disorder. Thus - light and mental powers, I suppose.”

Cisco wondered what type of medical degree, or was it degrees? -Mind Muse had to her name. It would certainly explain the medical treatment she had become known for giving to injured bystanders, as well as her ability to (partially) analyze her own condition. “Okay, next question. Why wait until now to start fighting crime?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” She explained. “I was in a coma for several months after the explosion, and when I woke up, my powers were out of control. I stayed in the hospital until I could control them somewhat decently. It took a long time to figure out which colors meant what, and I had very little control over my teleportation - if I jumped at a loud noise, I would suddenly be in a different room. After leaving the hospital, I tried to go back to normal life, but it’s hard when you can hear mental pleas for help. So I set up a ‘lair’ if you will, got back on my feet, and gathered what equipment I needed. I’m still working on bringing in my own team - if the Flash can’t do it alone, neither can I.”

Cisco nodded. “Um, once you have a team, are we going to work together, or...?”

Mind Muse shrugged. “Once The Flash is back, I’ll stick to more petty crime - situations in which the little people need help. You really have no idea just how many people silently ask for help every day.”

Cisco silently wished she hadn’t told him that. It was depressing, if he was being perfectly honest. “On that depressing note, I’ve run out of questions. Unless you can tell me your secret identity?”

He was joking and she knew it. With a laugh, she replied, “In your dreams, Cisco Ramon.” And then, with a flash of violet light, she was gone.


	9. Break of the Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len is... having difficulties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, I know it has been a loooong time since I last updated. I apologize, I had a sudden loss in my life and didn't really have any time or motivation for a while. Anyway, I will begin posting again, but it may be a little touch-and-go as I get started. Thanks to everyone who stayed with the fic or read it while I was gone. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Len was itching for his next meeting with Harmony. Her questions had been terrible to contemplate. Caring for Barry Allen? That would be a rookie mistake.

One that he had, quite obviously, made.

Len shook his head in frustration. If he had known, if he had realized...

But he hadn’t, and now he felt like a damned fool. Best to talk to Harmony, get it out of his system, and move on. As long as the kid was okay...

Shit. He cared, far too much, about the kid. And that was awful - Barry was a _kid!_

Len let out a hiss of abject frustration. How had this happened? How had he grown so naive, so unguarded? Since when had he let the heroes get to him?

Probably since--

Wait a second. Why was Harmony’s door open? Len looked around the empty hall, and strained to hear something, anything, as he crept closer silently. Had someone ambushed Harmony? What if she-

No. No, he could hear two voices coming from behind the door. “She doesn’t have enough evidence to reopen your case, Andrew. Not yet.” Harmony explained.

There was a sigh. “So how much longer do I have to rot in here, Doc? I thought you said you could help.”

“I can. I promise, I can. But I’ve never tried to get a case re-opened before. I have no idea what I’m looking for, and you wouldn’t believe the kinds of strings I’ve already had to pull. I need more time.” There was a long pause. “Look, Andrew, I’m nowhere close to giving up. So don’t you give up on me. I’ll get you out. We just have to be patient.”

The inmate muttered something to indistinct for Len to hear, and then started saying his goodbyes to Harmony. The session was over- or ending. And Len was standing right outside the door that they had forgotten to close all the way. If they waked out now, he’d be caught red-handed.

Len backed away with all the skill of a world class thief, moving as fast and as silently as a shadow back the way he’d come. He was just around the corner when the door opened. “See you in a few, Doc.” The inmate said. “I’ll send Len your way.”

Len’s blood froze. There was no question about it, he knew that voice from somewhere. But there were plenty of people at Iron Heights. Who was it? 

It was too late to find out. As the other man’s footsteps neared the corner, Len turned and slipped away, back towards the rec room. No one noticed him as he re-entered the room, but he cursed as the room filled with other inmates. Who the hell was Harmony helping to get out?

McKinson approached him after a few minutes. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Len.” Then he glanced around the rec room. “You’d better leave before someone takes note of that.”

Len nodded sharply and walked away from the man. God. Now he had to worry about something in here, too? He stopped in an empty hall and counted for three hundred seconds. It was time to be Captain Cold - because that was the only way he could forget the Flash, forget Barry, and focus on what he’d overheard.

 

Ten minutes later, Len was arriving just in time for his own session, rather than fifteen minutes early as he had planned. Harmony gave him a piercing look, and he struggled not to fidget under her gaze.

“You look terrible, Len.”

Len frowned. “Really, Doc?”

Harmony rolled her eyes. “You’ve got bags under your eyes, you haven’t been to the gym since our last session, and you’ve skipped a few meals. Please tell me that’s not your definition of good.”

Len ground his teeth together. “Well I’m afraid that’s all your fault, Harmony.”

She raised a perfect eyebrow.

“You’re the one who asked me if I cared about Barry Allen.” Len spat.

Harmony looked at Len incredulously. “And _this_ is what happened when you took time to think on it?” She waved a hand at him. “ _This_ is not healthy for you! How long has it been since you last showered? Or looked in a mirror?”

Len frowned. Couldn’t she see the purpose behind all of this? He ran a hand over his face, and when it dropped, he glared at her. “Figure it out for yourself, Doc. I couldn’t care less. Now what’s been going on?”

Harmony shook her head in anger, but moved behind the desk to pull up the news. “The Rogues haven’t done anything, the new meta just had her powers published in the newspaper, Barry Allen in on sick leave, and the Flash is apparently fine. Or will be.”

Len pretended not to notice as an invisible weight lifted from his chest. “How do you know that Flash is alive?”

Harmony sat and sighed. “The new meta, Mind Muse, as they’re calling her, says that he’ll be back. And she’s not the type to make empty promises, so far as anyone can tell.”

“She told the public that The Flash would be back?” Len didn’t believe that for one second.

Harmony shook her head. “No. No, but she has said that she’s only filling in. That it’s temporary.”

Len gave her an icy look. “So you’ve got no proof. What about the CSI? What’s he out for?”

Harmony shrugged. “I asked around the precinct. Apparently it’s just a bad cold - he should be back in a week. For now, Cisco Ramon is helping with the metahuman cases.”

Len sat up, leaning forward in his seat. “And Cisco told you that his friend would be back?” Harmony nodded, and Len sat back, thinking. Everything was fine, or would be. Still...

Len got up and made for the door.

“Where are you going?”

Len opened the door, and looked over his shoulder. “I’ve got work to do.” He snapped.

Behind him, Harmony gritted her teeth. This wasn’t good. Len was back on the war path, back to being Cold. She needed to make a few visits before she could be sure of how to proceed. But The Flash’s sudden disappearance had taken it’s toll on Len, of that she could be certain.

But why? It was only too easy to guess - so perhaps this was her fault, after all.


	10. A Family Affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harmony needs information - and there's only one place she can go to get it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, this was a bit of a filler chapter, but I promise it's setting up for some good stuff. It actually turned out longer than I thought it would, so... yeah. I hope you enjoy it!

Harmony took off as soon as she could, and drove straight to the last place she would’ve thought of revisiting. But this was too important. A few blocks away, she stopped to buy a bottle of wine, hopeful that it would be the right kind of olive branch. Then she reconsidered and got some beer, too.

She pulled into the driveway with apprehension and got out with a deep breath. This was definitely above her pay grade. Massively so. But she wasn’t about to give up on Len, so she needed to speak with the people that knew him the best - and who knew him better than his sister and ex-cellmate?

She carefully opened the lockbox and - Shit. They’d moved the spare key. Harmony turned to the door, considering it for a moment. Then she heard a whirring sound, and looked up to find a camera fixed on her.

She held up the booze so the camera could see the offerings. “We need to talk.”

The camera stared her down and then turned away. Harmony shook her head. Fine. She set down the gifts and pulled a couple of hairpins out of her hair. She had just touched the pins to the door handle when the lock was thrown from the inside. Quickly, she put the pins away, and watched as Lisa Snart opened the door.

“Harmony. What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think you’d enjoyed our company this much - so I guess it must be important. Come in.”

Harmony picked her things up and followed Lisa into the house, toeing off her shoes as she went. Lisa led her into the living room, where Mick was sat with a computer and a joystick. Obviously, he’d been the one behind the camera. Lisa sat on one of the couches, and Harmony joined her, trying to pretend this was completely normal.  
Lisa turned to scrutinize Harmony. “So, what brings you here this time? Has my brother done something stupid without his Scarlet Speedster there to focus on?”

Harmony’s eyebrows had never been higher in their whole existence. “His Speedster? You’re a more perceptive woman than I gave you credit for, Lisa.”

Lisa smiled and tossed her hair. “Well, I am Lenny’s baby sister. I make it my business to know what makes him tick.”

Mick swiped a beer and sat back with a glare. “Get to the point.” he growled in their direction.

Harmony obliged. “The truth is, I’m worried about Len. After The Flash disappeared, he became... listless. He missed a few meals - he even missed one of his appointments with me. He’s been having trouble sleeping, I think, and he’s completely reverted into his ‘Cold’ persona.”

Mick rolled his eyes. “That sounds like how he gets when he’s focused on a job, Christmas. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Harmony turned to him in confusion. “Christmas?”

Mick stayed silent until Lisa raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Her name’s DeNoel, Lisa. Like Christmas.”

As Lisa scoffed, Harmony felt her stomach twist. How much had they found out about her? Had Mick Rory, Heatwave, actually _cased_ her? She knew that she should feel terrified. But honestly, she was sitting in the living room drinking with two villains, and had just received a _nickname_ from one of them. Things didn’t get much more relaxed than that. Still, if she ever got on their bad side...

Lisa shifted to pour herself some more wine. “So, Lenny’s turned Cold. I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s probably trying to find a way to break out. Everyone’s wondering where the Flash is, and who better to bring him out than his arch-nemesis, Captain Cold?” Her eyes flashed as she stared straight at Harmony, pinning her as she continued. “If I were you, I’d stay out of his way - or help him. He owes you no matter what.”

Harmony’s stomach sank. She could never condone breaking Len out - after all, he was Captain Cold. He was dangerous. At the same time, she didn’t understand why Lisa thought the Flash would pop back up if Cold was out. “Why would Len get out in order to bring the Flash back? I know he cares about the Flash, but isn’t it a rivalry? A vested interest?”

Lisa actually laughed. “Oh, no, not at all. You see, Lenny _likes_ the Flash. The speedster forced him to ‘up his game,’ and we all know my brother loves a good challenge. Plus, my brother owes him - the Flash saved his ass before he got himself arrested.”

Mick waved his beer at Lisa. “You’re forgetting the Flash’s name, too.”

A hint of annoyance colored Lisa’s features. “Oh yes. Lenny know the Flash’s secret identity, but made a deal with the kid instead of splashing his face all over the city. He won’t even tell us.”

Harmony leaned in. “What kind of deal?” Had Len told her the whole truth?

Mick frowned. “We don’t kill, he doesn’t lock us up, and no one gets to know his name.”

“There’s no messing with his friends, eithe-”

Mick coughed something that sounded like Sisco Ramen, and Lisa hit him. Harmony graciously pretended that she hadn’t seen or heard anything, but thought about what thay had inadvertently revealed. There was more to the deal than Len had led her to believe. His feelings were more than just respectful towards the Flash. In fact, they might even be... amorous. So, the Flash and Captain Cold, no, Len, weren’t as black and white as she’d thought. For now, this was all she needed to ask, or at least, all she could think of. “Well, this has certainly helped me. But I’d better be going.” 

Harmony was half standing when Mick grunted, “Can you cook, Christmas?” Harmony mumbled a yes in utter confusion. “Stay, then,” Mick grumbled. “Anything you’d make is better than what Lisa can.”

Lisa frowned but shrugged. “I wouldn’t say no to not cooking - but Mick isn’t allowed in the kitchen.”

Harmony opened her mouth to ask, and then figured it out for herself. Okay then. She could do this. It would be kind of like payment for the information, and that would make her feel a bit less... criminal... about visiting.

And so, for the second time in as many months, Harmony sat down to dinner with Heatwave and the Golden Glider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, heads up. In future chapters I'm going to assume that the press never finds out about Grodd, or that the Flash visited Star City. Thus, Len and Harmony won't know that the Flash is okay until after s2e9 "Running to Stand Still". But if it seems like Barry is gone for way longer than he should be, that's why.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments you guys have left here so far, I always look forwards to more!


	11. I Can't Just Sit Here and Twiddle My Thumbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McKinson and Harmony make a deal, and Mind Muse gets... creative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for your support and feedback. According to Flash Cannon, this chapter would take place s2e7, 'Gorrilla Grodd' as the public does not see the Flash in this episode/ he is still believed to be dead or missing. I hope you enjoy it!

It had been two weeks since Harmony’s visit with Lisa and Mick. As much as it had been helpful to have her suspicions of the depth of Len’s caring confirmed, she hadn’t gotten anything useful on how to snap him out of his listless funk.

And so two weeks had passed, and nothing had changed. Or perhaps they had only gotten worse. Len still came to her office to check the news - but he had stopped really talking. He was Cold. 

Harmony could see the cogs turning - Len was feeling trapped - but she also knew that he saw no way out. Those two feelings were perhaps the two most dangerous in the world when combined. Trapped and without hope, the only thing a human being could do was break. And the last thing Len could do while in here was break. It was the last thing he could afford.

If Captain Cold lost his mind in jail, word would certainly get out. Eventually, Captain Cold would become a laughingstock. Len would lose every ounce of street cred he had. And unfortunately, that would probably get him killed. If not in prison, certainly once he was out. 

The last thing Harmony wanted was Len’s blood on her hands. Because yes, if he died, it was at least partly her fault. It was his fault too, for being so stubbornly cold and withdrawn that he was beginning to slip - but it was her fault for showing him what looked like the death of his nemesis, and sort-of-friend, The Flash. She had started this. And Damned, if she wasn’t trying to fix it, too.

But showing Len an article in which Mind Muse had been quoted saying that the Flash would be back and she was just filling in hadn’t helped. At all. In fact, Len had snorted derisively and left the session early.

Something had to be done, of that Harmony had been sure. But she had tried everything. Or, _almost_ everything. 

Now it was time to go with her last-resort. 

She called a special session with McKinson. 

“What’s up, Doc?” The scruffy man said, folding his six-foot-something frame into the chair opposite her desk.

“I’m...taking a trip.” She replied, tapping her manicured nails against the top of the desk. “So I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything, for you - you know that.” He grumbled amiably.

She smiled weakly. “I need you to keep an eye on Leonard Snart.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “I been doing that already, Harmony. So what-”

“I know you’ve kept up with him in general - you know if he eats. But I want you to make absolutely sure that no one esses with him in my absence. And keep him out of trouble too, for God’s sake, Ian.”

Ian Mckinson sat back with an appraising expression. “Are you about to go do something stupid? Cuz that’s what I think you’re doing.”

Harmony shook her head. “I’m doing what’s necessary.”

He snorted. “Keep tellin yourself that, and maybe someday we’ll both believe it.” There was a pause, then he continued. “I don’t know why you let Leonard Snart, of all people, get into your head.”

“That’s not it - Not all of it anyway. I think this might get the Flash to come back.”

 

Later that night, a pinky-ring disappeared from the storage box containing the belongings of one Leonard Snart. No one noticed - and no one saw the flashes of violet light within the room, either.

 

Mark Mardon and Shawna Baez were holed up in a crash pad in Gotham city with several thousand dollars in jewelry when a blindingly violet flash of light brought them both to their feet. Mardon pulled a gun and Shawna looked into the mirror on the opposite side of the room, quickly teleporting behind the strange figure and placing the woman into a choke hold.

The woman disappeared in a flash of purple light and reappeared with another flash in the corner. Shauna teleported in front of her. The other woman disappeared and reappeared again in another corner.

“As much as I hate to say it,” the other woman stated, “We’re too evenly matched, Baez. And Mardon - don’t even try. I’m not here for a fight.”

Mardon didn’t lower his weapon. “Then what are you here for?”

The woman in violet held out an open palm. In it rested a small, silver, pinky ring. “I’m here to give you this - and a plan.”

Mardon lowered the gun. “Where did you get that?”

“Iron Heights, where else? It’s not very hard for someone like me.”

Shawna’s eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you supposed to be a new hero? Why would you bring this to us?”

Mind Muse flipped the ring into the air and caught it. “Becuase, Baez, if Leonard Snart goes free, The Flash will return. Or so I’m told.”

Mardon rolled his eyes in disbelief, but took the ring. “It’s the real deal.” He told Shawna.

“Obviously.” She sneered, “But I’m out. I’m not going back to Central City, and I’m certainly not going back for Captain Cold. I don’t owe him anything.”

“Exactly,” argued Mardon, “Which means he’ll owe us.”

Shauna shook her head. “It’s still not worth it.”

Mardon pocketed the ring. “It is for me.” Then he looked at Mind Muse. “And you’ll owe me too, yeah?”

Mind Muse laughed. “No. Bringing you the ring makes us even, Mardon. Get him out before Christmas, won’t you? Lisa and Mick would appreciate the gift - and you can hide your powers better when it’s already snowing.” Befor Mardon could make any kind of reply, the woman vanished in a violet flash.

Mardon rubbed at his eyes, they turned to his companion. “We’ll get this to the safe house tomorrow, and then we can make a plan for Iron heights.”

Shawna snorted. “I’ll take this stuff to the safe house alright, but I said I’m out. And I meant it. I don’t care if captain Cold owes me. Hell, I don’t even care if the _Flash_ does - but i’m not going back to Central City.”

Mardon shrugged. “Your loss, sweetheart.”


End file.
